The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Disassemble a grille (1950 1/2 ton)

Another newbie question. I see lots of informative posts about rebuilding a grille, but how do you disassemble it? The clutch head screws attaching the grille to the side braces are so rusted the driver can't get purchase, they just spin in the screw head. Then- the rivets - do you suggest grinding them or drilling them or what? Seems like a lot of work, but the truck has high sentimental value so an attempt must be made to restore.

Is it necessary to dismantle it? I've stripped/sanded/painted two grilles without taking them apart, and two toned both of them. I think it 6 of one half or dozen of the other. All depends if you have a lot of rust or damage to repair. The thought of all those rivits and clips parts and pieces, no way!

Stovebolter Woody posted great pics on restoring a painted AD grill

Woody's Link

is yours painted or chrome?

Post some pics of your family owned truck. And good luck on your project.

Based on what I found when I disassembled mine I'd definitely recommend it. There is rust between the parts that really should go and it's a lot easier to paint individual parts than it is to mask everything. They are really not that complicated to put back together, each part has notches so they match up and if you get one of the hardware kits you'll have everything you need.

The only difficult part would be using rivets. The 3/16 pop rivets that come in the hardware kit need a lot of muscle to set. I used screws and nuts because you can't see them once the grille is on the truck.

I ground all my rivets when I took them out.

It's a fun project IMO.

So grind away?
It is chrome with cream back bars, the chrome pieces have minor pitting, but no dings or dents, and the cream back bars are rusted but not too bad, it will need full restoration. After some discussions on the forum, I am a little leery of a reproduction grille and would re-chrome, the truck doesn't need much else (well cared for) so I would absorb the re-chroming cost.

Good thinking, but choose your plater with care. Those parts are pretty thin and could easily be warped by a ham-fisted worker in the polishing process.

sorry to hijack your post, but ive got a question. can individual grille bars come out without pulling the whole thing? ive got two that need to be replaced and when the P.O. set the truck on its new frame they didn't set it on in a way to pull the whole grill out, or so i think? alot of bolts that when i took out didnt seem to loosen anything up what so ever.

Hey Woody. Did you put lock tite on the screw and bolts? Or a little tap with the MIG?

Unless they are the top or bottom two, I doubt you can and even if you could it would be hard to put two new ones in without scratching them.

I used lock washers, but no reason you can't use Loctite if that's what you prefer.

Happy Birthday Woody. I always wonder when lock washers and/or locktite is neeeded.

Thanks

Thanks for the birthday wish! Personally, I've always wondered the same thing and concluded that if I don't have a good lock washer I use Loctite... works for me.

Hey, may be a dumb question but what are the steps to taking out the grille? after i get the splash guard off does the grille just slide down as well (after unbolting?)? being my body is on a later frame im not sure if it is set up the same way?my frame rails seem to be in the way and im not sure if the stock frame was different then the one i have now which is a 64 frame.

Mike Bakken wrote a tech tip for us on restoring a grille for an Advance Design truck ... for beginners! He wrote this some time ago and we are just now finishing it up.

Check it out. If you have any comments, please post them here so Mike can check and weigh in. Also, it will help if he gets enough feedback where he might want to add more images or explanation. OR ... someone may want to throw in a few cents worth from a NON-beginner.

Thanks for the good work on this Mike!

Peggy